Lady Suprema
by KESwriter
Summary: Cressida Colin has landed the role of a lifetime as the lead in a female superhero film. All her life, she has wondered who her biological parents were. When she glimpses Spencer Reid while shooting on location, her curiosity is piqued. Their lives will never be the same as they search for her mother.
1. Chapter 1

Just another idea bouncing around my head. There is a method to my madness and I promise to get back to Edge of Sanity in a couple days at the latest!

Lady Suprema

Reid finally collapsed on to his bed the night before Thanksgiving. He arrived home early in the morning to find the house a complete mess as usual. Mrs. Liner was a godsend in making sure his mom took her meds, but even she could only do so much. It pained him to admit it, but he was counting the days until he could have his mother committed to guarantee her health and safety.

There was a tapping at his window. Reid opened the blinds to see Mrs. Liner's daughter Tracy outside his window. He opened the window and there were tears in her eyes.

"Spencer," she said. "I've come to say goodbye."

"What?" he said. "Come in."

He helped her through the window and she collapsed on his bed.

"My mom got lucky at the poker table and she's using all the money to relocate us to LA. She has a friend who says we can stay at her place until we find an apartment. We leave early tomorrow morning."

"I made a contract with your mom," he said. "She has to give me two weeks' notice before leaving."

"Oh, you'll love this," she said. "She's been saving the money you gave her to hire me a big-time agent."

"Tracy, you're beautiful and you'll make a spectacular actress," he said. "If she thinks this is what's best, maybe you should give it a shot?"

"I don't want to leave!" she cried. "I don't want to leave you!"

"I'm only here on long weekends anyway," he said.

"But you've been my neighbor since I was ten and the best thing to ever happen to me," she said. "Seeing you brightens my day. I help with your mom too, and she always says the sweetest things about you."

"I didn't know you felt this way about me," he said softly.

She stood up and smiled.

"For a genius, you can be pretty clueless at times," she said wiping a tear away. "You're smart, sweet, and good-looking."

He blushed.

"The only person who has ever called me good-looking is my mother. I'm too young for the girls in college."

"Not for me," she said stroking his face. "For me you're perfect."

She kissed him. He kissed her back. When they let go, she laughed.

"You forgot to breathe, silly."

"You took me by surprise," he said. "You literally took my breath away."

He kissed her again. She massaged his shoulders and reached for his shirt. Reid stopped her.

"Do you really want this?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "The age of consent in Nevada is sixteen. We're both sixteen. Give me one night to remember you by, Spencer Reid."

She quickly pulled off his shirt.

He took a step back.

"One last question," he said quickly. "Are you on the pill?"

"My mom took me to Planned Parenthood the summer before high school started," she said.

Reid thought he saw a brief hint of panic in her eyes, but he dismissed it as nerves. He certainly felt nervous.

"I'm a virgin," he said as she continued to undress him.

"Do you trust a woman to lead?" she asked playfully.

"I trust you," he said and kissed her again.

Seven Weeks Later:

Tracy felt it was appropriate to see if she was carrying Spencer's child by taking the test in the Los Angeles Public Library bathroom. The stress of her mother and leaving Vegas made her miss a couple days on the pill, but she didn't think it was a big deal. She'd have to run away from home as her wouldn't want her to get rid of it. Telling Spencer wasn't an option as his plate was already full, with his mom and school. Having never thought of herself as dumb, Tracy knew she could make it work. She had to.

It came back positive. She felt a mixture of happiness and terror. Being a single mom was going to be hard, but not impossible. Tracy felt determined to give Spencer's baby the best life imaginable.

Seven Months later:

Tracy sat sadly in the hospital room. Her baby was covered in tubes. Never in her life did she feel so alone. She should have told Spencer. Spencer would have known what to do. But he had a life to live. She didn't want to burden him with what was the result her idea of foolish fun.

A nurse came in with more water for her.

"For the record I think you're doing the right thing," she said.

"Thanks," she said in a low tone.

"Can I do anything else for you sweetheart?" she asked. "Maybe get the hospital chaplain?"

"No thank you," she said.

"Just buzz if you need anything," she said.

"Wait," she said. "I've wanted to write my baby a letter to go with her, but my hands can't seem to stop shaking. Can you write it for me?"

"Absolutely dear!" she said, pulling out a pen and pad. "What do you want me to write?"

"To My Dear Daughter: I'm sorry I couldn't keep you. I will love you for the rest of my life and promise to never forget you. The best way I can show you how much I love you is by sending you to live with another couple. What I am giving you by giving you away is a better life. If I did not think you would be happier with this couple I promise I would not be giving you away. My heart will always be with you.

I am sure you have questions about your father. He is a good man, but I didn't tell him about you because his mom is very sick. I don't think he could give you the happy life you deserve while maintaining a job and meeting the needs of his mom. I know this may not seem fair to him by not giving him a voice in giving you a better life, but I think it is for the best. You come from two people who have good hearts.

I would not be doing this if I didn't think it was the right thing to do. I will think of you every day for the rest of my life. You are my angel and always will be.

Love,

Tracy Ellen Liner"

The nurse burst into tears after finishing.

"That is just beautiful. That little girl will appreciate it and know you love her. You are one special young woman, Tracy."

She didn't respond immediately. Tracy prayed she was doing the right thing.

Twenty-Two Years Later:

Cressida Colin read the note over again for the millionth time for good luck. She wondered whose tears were on the note as her parents said her birth mother had a nurse write it. Her birth mother remained mystery to her. She had gone looking for her when she was a teen with the help of her parents, but never found her. She could be dead for all she knew, but Colin held out hope she was alive.

"Cressida Colin?" a woman said interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes?" she said hastily putting the well-worn piece of paper away.

"They're ready for you."

Colin entered the audition room. There were five people sitting at a table in front of her.

"Please state your name and what role you're auditioning for," the first man on her left said.

"My name is Cressida Colin and I am auditioning for the role of Lady Suprema."


	2. Chapter 2

I hope you enjoy this!

Chapter Two:

"Now pout!" the photographer shouted at Colin. "Gorgeous! Gorgeous! The camera just loves you darling!"

Colin flipped her hair and posed. Her mind really wasn't in the shoot. She knew she should consider herself lucky to have a modeling a career to fall back on if acting didn't work out, but deep down, she was just an insecure as the average woman about her body.

When she was young, her adoptive parents worried constantly about how skinny she was. Colin couldn't help how she simply couldn't seem to put weight on. Also because of her height, she was called a "bean-pole" in grammar school among other rude names. It was one of the reasons she wanted pursue acting was to avoid the teasing in conventional schooling.

She was called a "natural" and got a role in a commercial after two auditions when she was ten. After getting a walk-on role on the Disney channel when she was twelve, she then got bit roles until she became the "best friend" on a show for four years. Like other actors, she "graduated" to the CW at the age of eighteen where she got the lead role of a dorky college freshman. Since the show finished up, she'd been auditioning for a variety of roles.

"Water break!" the photographer shouted.

Colin grabbed a bottle and went to check her phone. Her agent Annie Bell had left a dozen messages for her to call. It could mean she got the part or Bell had lined up something better. She quickly dialed her number.

"All hail Lady Suprema!" Bell shouted. "Congratulations!"

Colin was in a public place, so she had to be careful about showing her reaction.

"That is great," she said.

"You are good at controlling your emotions," she said. "They're going to announce just ahead Comic-Con where you're going to make an appearance."

San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest the biggest comic book entertainment convention in the US, was in two three weeks.

"Cool," Colin said.

"You're going to be fabulous in the role," Bell said. "I just know it."

"Thanks," she said. "I've got to go."

"Enjoy your modeling session, because it going to be your last an agency model!"

"I will," she said. "Bye."

Colin hung up and walked back into the studio. Taking a deep breath, she remained cool and collected as she was jumping for joy on the inside.

…

The origin story of Lady Suprema was half Superman and half medieval melodrama. Melora Suprema was a shape-shifting princess on the alien planet Avalon. Betrothed to a cruel nobleman while in love with a commoner, she fled across the universe to live as a human. Not knowing she was pregnant, her child Rayla, grew up to be human as she had not been exposed to the elements of their home planet. When Melora, working as a Hollywood location scout, brings her college-bound daughter on one last trip, her would-be husband kills her, and Rayla's abilities activate. It was basically a space opera with the promise of sequels set on earth.

Having never read the comic until the role appeared on her radar, it was easy to see the emotional appeal of the role. Colin loved her adoptive parents dearly, but she wondered where she came from. She had a vague picture of a young blond-haired woman with blue eyes as described by her parents, but she only knew what her father might look like based on her own looks. He had to be tall with brown hair, and brown eyes, but she wondered if he had the same wavy locks as she did. Finding her birth parents was a quest she planned for one day the future. It the meantime, she needed to be a hero.

The comic was only ten years old, so there weren't too many variations of it. The character would eventually join a group of superheroines known as the Glories. Lady Suprema was the start of a whole new superhero universe and it promised to be the adventure of lifetime for Colin.

…

The following six weeks were a blur. Between strength training and cardio, Colin was doing publicity. Her "mother" was Hollywood icon Amanda Burst. The movie was already in the early stages of production and she would finally get in front of a camera in a couple weeks to play Lady Suprema.

The director, Sarah Kirsten, was all about practical effects. She wanted "real" reactions to everything. She purposely had them shoot parts of the most pivotal scene in Monument Valley, Utah, a park famous for appearing in dozens of movies.

Colin brought her assistant Mellissa along in the car while Burst rode in a separate car.

"There's a murderer on the loose around here," Mellissa said not looking up from her phone. "They're calling him the 'National Park Killer,' because of where he kills."

"As long as he's not on location, I'm not worried," Colin said as she stared out the window. The park was truly stunning. She couldn't wait to act in it.

Tents were set up in strategic locations for cooling purposes. Crew members were swarming everywhere. Arriving a few minutes early, Colin got out to explore.

She approached the edge of a small hill and looked over the edge. For a moment, she thought her heart stopped. Two men were at the base of the hill. One looked to be Hispanic while the other man was tall and had a mop of brown hair that was slightly unruly.

Colin believed in taking risks when she felt it was worth it. If she made a fool of herself, it wouldn't be the first time. She had to ask even if it was an impossible long shot.

Taking a deep breath for courage, she climbed down the hill.


	3. Chapter 3

I hope you enjoy this! I almost always appreciate reviews! Thanks.

Chapter Three:

"It looks like the unsub came this way," Alvez said.

"This area is commonly used by park visitors, so it is unlikely we'll find any evidence," Reid said. "Especially if he as careful as we think he is."

"Who's that?" Alvez said, looking up ahead.

Reid followed his gaze and saw a young woman whose long brown hair was in a ponytail, climbing down the hill. She was wearing shredded denim shorts and a navy-blue t-shirt. An expensive red purse hung across her shoulders to complete the look.

"Hi," she said nervously.

"How can we help you?" Alvez asked.

She turned and faced Reid.

"I was wondering if you knew Tracy Ellen Liner?"

"Yes," Reid said. "Why?"

"Was your mom sick when you were a teenager?"

Reid felt like he had been hit in the gut.

"Yes," he said faintly. "May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Tracy's daughter," she said. "She gave me up for adoption when she was sixteen and left me this note she dictated to a nurse."

The woman shakily pulled out the note that had been clearly folded and refolded many times.

He read it quickly.

"It sounds like her," he said. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two," she said. "I was born prematurely, which is why Tracy gave me up."

"Have you been in contact with her?" he asked.

"I've tried tracking her down with my foster parents, but I haven't found her," she said. "All know about my biological dad is what is in the note and Tracy requested that my name have a medieval origin in honor of my paternal grandmother."

It was the second punch to the gut.

"My mother taught medieval literature before she became too sick," he said as it became hard to breathe.

"What is your mom sick with?" she asked.

"I'll tell you another time," he said quickly. "My name Spencer Reid and this is Luke Alvez. We work for the FBI"

"Oh," she said turning red. "You're hunting that serial killer! I'm sorry if I interrupted the investigation."

"We just finished pursuing a lead," Alvez said.

Reid pulled out his card. "I want to conduct a paternity test before we become closer. Here is my number. Can I have yours and your name?"

"Cressida Jane Colin," she said and wrote her name and number on the back of a receipt. "I am an actress. I'll be shooting in the states for another month."

"I thought you looked familiar," Alvez said. "What are you starring in now?"

"Lady Suprema," she said. "I'm supposed to be shooting on location right. I need to go."

"I'll be in touch in a few days at the most," Reid said.

"Great," she said nervously. "Bye."

Reid watched her climb up the hill.

"You okay?" Alvez asked.

"No," he said numbly. "Not at all."

…

After riding back to the station in silence, Reid took one look at the team waiting the conference room and ran.

"You can tell them," he shouted to Alvez as he located the restroom.

Reid found a stall and emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. It had been a long time since he had been this sick. The whole thing was just so overwhelming.

He heard the stall door he didn't lock open behind him.

"It's okay son," Rossi said and massaged his back. "It's okay."

"This isn't how you reacted to Joy," he said. "My body can't seem to handle it."

"Finding out you're a dad is a lot to handle," Rossi said. "Trust me. Spilling my guts had occurred to me."

He wiped his mouth with a piece of toilet paper and flushed.

"We have a case," he said.

"That is currently a waiting game," Rossi said. "It okay, take a few more deep breaths."

"I can't believe Tracy didn't tell me about her," sitting down on the floor. "I know she thought I had a lot on my plate with my mom, but I would have taken care of our child, even if she was premature."

"She had the best intentions," Rossi said. "Tracy was also a scared sixteen-year-old. She did what she thought was best at the time."

"There is a chance the child isn't mine," he said. "But it's small."

"Having a paternity test done is wise," Rossi said.

He suddenly burst into tears. Reid wasn't entirely sure why. Rossi hugged him as he sobbed harder. There was a twenty-two-year-old girl out there whose life he could have been in, but he wasn't given the chance. He hadn't been given a chance.

Eventually he calmed down and rinsed his face. Rossi handed him some paper towels and he cleaned up. He was ready to get back to work.

When he came back into the conference room, J.J. saw his bloodshot eyes and approached him.

"Not right now J.J." he said. "I know this has been an eventful couple hours, but I need to focus on work."

"Agreed," Prentiss said.

"Just one question," Reid said. "I'm sure you looked her up. Where is Tracy Liner?"

"Garcia wasn't able to find anything on her current location," Lewis said. "Her license from when she was sixteen has expired."

"Okay," he said. "Where are we on the case?"

Simmons began to talk, and Reid tried concentrate as his mind drifted to what happened twenty-two years ago.


	4. Chapter 4

I've been busy. Job searching, discovering how out of shape I am, and other projects. I hope you enjoy this.

Chapter Four:

Colin didn't have a spare minute to call home until two days later. She was in her hotel room in Utah and decided to Face time with her parents.

Tina and Robert Colin were investment brokers in Los Angeles. They met in college at Berkley and married a year after they graduated. After trying to have children for several years, they put their name on an adoption list for a baby. It took two years for their name to reach the top of the list. After adopting her, they considered adopting more but didn't want to go through the waiting game again. So, Cressida was their pride and joy.

"Hey honey!" they said together enthusiastically.

"Is Monument Valley as gorgeous as the pictures?" Tina asked.

"Better," she said. "I'll have to show you some photos I took after the premier."

"Is something on your mind pumpkin?" Robert asked.

Her father was always slightly more perceptive of the changes is her tone.

"I found my biological father," she blurted out. "On the first day of shooting."

They sat in stunned silence.

"How can you be sure it's him?" Tina asked.

"Did you confront this stranger alone?" Robert asked.

"He's not dangerous!" she said defensively. "He works for the FBI. His name is Spencer Reid."

"That was still quite a risk to take," Robert said. "You shouldn't go off on your own."

"But it worked out," she said. "I believe he's my father."

Robert sighed. "Just be a little more careful from now on, okay?" he said. "It'll help your old man sleep better."

"I will," she said.

"No running after any blonde that could be your mother," he said.

"I won't," she said. "But you should Google him dad. He looks exactly like me."

Her mother had pulled out her phone and presented it to her father.

"Okay," he said slowly.

"The resemblance is there," Tina said. "What did he say when you confronted him?"

"He told me he knew Tracy and that his mother was sick like the one referenced in the letter. He wouldn't tell me what she was sick with until I took a paternity test. Then he said he'd be in touch in a few days after the case he was investigating wrapped up."

"Was he working that national park killer case?" Tina asked.

"It looked like it," she said. "He also said his mother was a professor in medieval literature."

"That's quite a few coincidences that are connected," Tina said. "You two being in that valley at the same time and the fact that he knew Tracy."

"I know there's a chance he's not my father," she said. "But I'm fairly certain he is."

"Just use common sense and be cautious. He may be an FBI agent, but you still need to be careful."

"I will, Dad," she said.

"So what else did you do, that you can tell us about?" Tina asked.

She spent the rest of the night discussing life on set.

…

Three days later she was hanging up in wires in the green room on set feeling bored despite her precarious position.

Mellissa appeared.

"They said you could answer calls while they reset the wires," she said and passed the phone to her.

It was Spencer. She thought she felt her heart leap in her throat.

"Hi," she said nervously.

"Hi," he said in an equally nervous tone. "Did I call at a bad time?"

"No," she said. "I'm just hanging out."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the lab for the paternity test or have a technician come to you?"

"A tech can come to me," she said.

"I'll text you the number and you can make the appointment as soon as you get a chance."

"I'll make it today," she said. "How long will it take for the results to come back?"

"For this lab it is twenty-four hours," he said.

"Okay," she said. "I'll do it when I'm done in a few hours."

"Great," he said. "I'll call with the results."

"That sounds good," she said. "I'll talk to you later."

"Sure," he said nervously. "Bye."

"Bye," she said.

She handed her phone back to Melissa.

"Spread the word that I want out of here by five," she said. "I don't ask for much, but I want out early today."

"Okay," Melissa said and left.

Colin started to feel nervous. She wanted to believe it was him, even though she didn't know much about him. Maybe then she'd have some of the closure she was looking for.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm back at this!

Chapter Five:

Two days later, Spencer called back to ask if he could discuss the results with her and her parents together. They set up a date for next week.

Cressida was relieved to have the movie to focus on. Her friends who noticed she was acting a little differently and chalked it up to be possibly becoming an A-list superhero. While her parents had been nothing but supportive, they too were anxious to meet Spencer. Cressida's world was changing so quickly, she felt like she was having a hard time keeping up.

Her parent's house was a modest ranch compared to her house with views of the city. Cressida was wearing a new dress and even her mother was wearing more makeup than usual. Everyone wanted to make a good impression.

The doorbell rang promptly five-thirty. Spencer was dressed more impeccably than he had in Utah with a suit jacket over a tie, and possibly some hair product. He was holding a large bouget of roses and a bottle of wine. Cressida noticed he also looked nervous despite his smile.

"Hi Cressida," he said politely. "These are for your parents."

Tina took the flowers. "They're lovely."

Robert took the wine and noticed the label. "That was extremely nice of you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Colin. Cressida has become a phenomenal young woman because of you."

Her parents exchanged a look and nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Reid. Please call us Tina and Robert," Robert said.

"Then call me Spencer," he said.

"Dinner will be ready in another half hour," Tina said, "Let's talk in the living room."

"Okay," he said.

He made sure everyone was seated before he spoke again.

"I received the results of the DNA test five days ago," he said. "Cressida, you are my biological daughter.

Cressida didn't know what to do. She knew that was the result in heart, but she wasn't sure if she should hug him or not.

"Tina, and Robert, I want to thank you again for raising Cressida to be a strong independent woman any person would be proud to call their daughter."

"You're incredibly kind Spencer," Tina said. "I can see where she gets some of heart from."

"There is such a thing as 'a kindness' gene but I won't bore you with the details," he said. "I'm sure you have more pressing questions for me."

"What was the nature of your relationship with Tracy Liner?" Robert asked.

"Tracy and I were neighbors," he said. "Her mother, Ellen, had just fled Reno with Tracy to escape an abusive relationship. Their house was the worst house on the block, and I offered at the age ten to help fix it up."

"Did you ever go to school with her?" Tina asked. "I read up on you Spencer. You're something of a genius."

Cressida had been so busy with the movie she hadn't thought to go deep diving into Google about. She just read a few articles about his heroism and a brief stay in prison for a crime he didn't commit. It was slightly embarrassing that her parents knew more than she did.

"No," he said. "I graduated from high school when I was twelve and attended Caltech."

Spencer took a deep breath.

"The sickness my mother has is paranoid schizophrenia," he said. "My father abandoned my mother and I when I was ten. Tracy and mother moved in two months later and Tracy's smiling face was the first good thing to happen since then."

"Oh Spencer," Cressida said.

"She now has early-onset dementia," he said. "I assure you that with each passing generation the odds of getting each disease are less likely."

"How does a child cope with a schizophrenic mother alone?" Robert asked.

"I managed all of my mom's finances and a learned to forge her signature quickly," he said. "I used the money from social security to pay Ellen Liner to keep an eye on my mom while I was at school.

"When did you and Tracy become a couple?" Cressida asked.

Spencer sighed sadly.

"We weren't," he said. "Tracy banged on my bedroom window the night before Thanksgiving to say she and her mother were moving to LA so she could become an actress after Ellen won big at the poker table. She professed her feelings for me, and we made love and I have not seen Tracy since that night. I had asked her if she was on the pill and she said yes, but I suspect in hindsight she might have missed a couple days with worrying about her mother's plotting."

Cressida didn't know what she was expecting. She had so many ideas, yet this seemed so sad.

Spencer seemed to sense this.

"I have never been good in the romance department," he said. "I may know a lot, but human relationships remain a mystery to me. I was just shocked than any girl could possibly like me."

"Really?" Tina said with amusement.

"I was so focused on my grades and my mom and I didn't realize Tracy liked me so much."

"You have the resources of the FBI," Cressida said suddenly. "Have you been able to find her?"

Spencer shook his head.

"There a few plausible scenarios and none of them are good. Her mother died of alcohol poisoning two years after you were born. Her father died ten years later from a heart attack. She has no other living blood relatives aside from a third cousin in Phoenix. No one filed a missing persons report. Her license expired and the government has no current address for her."

"You think she's dead, don't you?" Cressida said suddenly.

"If she's not dead, she wants people to believe she is, or she is being held somewhere against her will."

Cressida didn't know where this anger was coming from, but it felt good.

"Well tell me, Mr. Reid," she said haughtily. "In your scientific opinion, which of those is the most likely scenario?"

"I don't know how to help you get what you want Cressida," Spencer said. "The only way I can think of to find out more would be to go public with our relationship."

"What relationship?" she said angrily. "It's just genetics."

"I want to find Tracy too," he said. "I want to tell her I'm sorry she didn't feel she could come to me about you."

"Because you were raising your crazy mother alone," Cressida in a fit of fury.

"Cressida!" Robert said in an angry tone. "This man is doing the best he can, and this is how you repay him?"

"I'll pay for the DNA test!" she shouted. "I'll even pay for the wine and your plane ticket. How much do I owe you?"

The look of devastation on his face should have made her feel guilty, but it didn't. She felt confused, lonely, and angry. Nothing felt right.

"I'll go," he said. "You have my contact information."

"Which I will never use again," she said. "These are my real parents and that's all that matters."

"I know," he said.

He looked to my parents.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," he said. "Goodbye."

He left without saying another word.

Her parents glared at her. She rushed past them and slammed the door to her bedroom she had as a child. She hugged her pillow and cried.

Cressida knew she was acting irrational. Disrespecting a man who showed her nothing but kindness when she climbed down the hill asking odd questions. But she was angry for the sake of being angry. Her biological parents weren't a match made in the stars like in some movie. She was the result of a one-night stand between a pair of horny teenagers. She also felt sad for a biological mom, who was most likely dead. Everything she thought she knew about her life felt like a confusing mess, she wasn't ready to deal with.


End file.
